1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet printer, and more particularly, to a service station system for an inkjet printer capable of maintaining the nozzle surface of a printer head in a good state.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an outer case of an inkjet printer is generally mounted a service station system to wash, protect, and maintain a printer head nozzle surface in a good state. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are views schematically illustrating operations of a conventional service station system. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional service station 100 is provided with a pallet 113 disposed underneath a printer head 13 and movable in a horizontal direction, and a pinion 115 and a rack 117 which moves the pallet 113. The pinion 115 rotates in a forward and in a reverse direction by a motor (not shown).
Diverse service parts are mounted on the pallet 113, such as a head cap 121, a wiper 131, and a spittoon 141. The head cap 121 is supported by an elevating member 123 and disposed on an upper front end portion of the pallet 113. A plurality of link members 127 parallel with each other in a vertical direction and a spring 129 are inserted between the elevating member 123 and the pallet 113. By the link members 127 and the spring 129, the elevating member 123 may ascend and descend in one body with the head cap 121 with respect to the pallet 113. An arm 125 extended in a stand-up direction is installed on a front end of the elevating member 123.
The spittoon 141 is constructed with a spitting hole 143 recessed in an upper surface of the pallet 113 and a porous absorber 145 accommodated in the spitting hole 143. The wiper 131 is installed in a stand-up direction on the upper surface of the pallet 113 between the head cap 121 and the spittoon 141. Further, on a rear side of the spittoon 141 is installed a blade 151 fixedly coupled to an additional support device 153 and capable of contacting with the upper surface of the pallet 113. The blade 151, as described later, sweeps into a collector 157 through a drain hole 155, foreign materials and residual ink on a surface of the porous absorber 145 after spitted from the printer head 13.
The conventional service station system 100 for the inkjet printer having the structure as described above starts its operations when the printer head 13 is fixedly placed over the system 100 after a printing job is interrupted or stopped. If the printer head 13, as shown in FIG. 1, is fixedly positioned over the service station system 100, the motor rotates the pinion 115 clockwise to retreat the pallet 113 with respect to the printer head 13. When the pallet 113 retreats, the wiper 131 removes the residual ink and the foreign materials while contacting with a nozzle face of the printer head 13.
Meanwhile, if retreat of the pallet 113 is nearly completed, the arm 125 of the elevating member 123 comes in contact with the printer head 13. At this time, the pallet 113 continues to retreat, but the elevating member 123 stops moving by the arm 125 stuck on the printer head 13, and the elevating member 123 ascends by the link members 127 accordingly.
If the elevating member 123 ascends, the head cap 121 also ascends in one body with the member 123. The ascending head cap 121 gradually seals the nozzle face of the printer head 13, and thereafter, if the nozzle face of the printer head 13 is completely sealed, the pinion 115 stops its clockwise rotation. Here, a sealing state of the printer head 13 by the head cap 121 continues until a subsequent printing command is inputted.
Meanwhile, if the printing command is inputted, the pinion 115 rotates counterclockwise by the motor before the printer head 13 moves to a printing position. With the rotations of the pinion 115, the pallet 113 moves forward, the elevating member 123 descends, and at the same time, the printer head 13 is being uncapped. Next, the nozzle face of the printer head 13 is wiped by the wiper 131 of the pallet 113 which keeps moving forward.
Thereafter, if the printer head 13 moving forward is positioned over the spittoon 141, the pinion 115 stops rotating counter-clockwise. Subsequently, during an interruption or a stopping of the printing job, a spitting job is carried out to remove ink or foreign materials firmly stuck on the nozzle face of the printer head 13. After spitting, residual ink left on the upper surface of the porous absorber 145 is swept by the blade 151 when the pallet 113 moves. Next, the printer head 13 moves to perform the printing job according to an input command.
However, the conventional service station system 100 for an inkjet printer has a problem in that its volume inevitably becomes large since enough space must be secured in order for the pallet 113 to reciprocate. That is, the conventional service station system 100 has to have enough space therein for movements of the pallet 113 since capping or uncapping, wiping, sweeping, and spitting sequentially progress on the same line the pallet 113 moves in order to maintain the printer head in a good state. Such a problem is particularly dominant on a service station system having the pallet 113 which services on the nozzle face while moving in a direction perpendicular to a printing direction of the printer head 13, which becomes a factor of having to increase the volume of an inkjet printer in front and rear sides in the future.